Control of localization and optical properties with deep-subwavelength engineered disorder

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• One-dimensional dichromic multilayer films exhibit complex optical behaviors.
• Deep subwavelength structures introduce disorder, affecting light propagation.
• Understanding disorder effects is crucial for optical device design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of deep subwavelength disorder on optical transmission, localization length, and Goos-Hänchen shift.
• To investigate the relationship between structural order (τ) and optical responses.
• To explore the potential for inverse design of disordered structures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of disordered multilayer films using a Metropolis algorithm.
• Numerical analysis of optical transmission and localization length.
• Calculation of the Goos-Hänchen shift around the critical angle.

Main Results:

• Numerical results for localization length and transmission align with theoretical predictions for disordered films.
• The Goos-Hänchen shift demonstrates a clear dependence on the order metric (τ).
• Deep subwavelength structures significantly enhance transmission due to disorder.

Conclusions:

• Deep subwavelength disorder plays a key role in modulating optical properties of multilayer films.
• The study validates theoretical models for disordered optical systems.
• Findings enable the inverse design of disordered structures for tailored optical functionalities, including the Goos-Hänchen shift.